Final Fantasy VII – Advanced chronology
by Ladingen
Summary: Time flows, like the river and in time, history repeats again. Everyone carries an inner crisis and secretly departs on a personal quest throughout life; all the while it affects the life of others. Death, tears, love…it’s just a way of life. TifaxVincent
1. Prologue

_**Initial Reality**_

_**Prologue**_

The wind howled through the night. Pitch black if not for the neon signs and lanterns along the street, sending out colorful glows of ghastly pink or hideous green. Walk along the streets and you surely would not miss the signs of _Lady Marmalade_ or _The Obscene Dungeon_.

He detested places like that.

Brown eyes narrowed in annoyance as he watched another staggering man with ruffled clothes, falling out from one of the doorways, all merry and drunk. A tired hand massaged his temples as he walked away from the window. Reeve was not entirely pleased with the apartment he rented. But it was enough for him; a living room combined with the bedroom and a small kitchen. Not much else, but across the room was a small pedestal, on it sat Cait, shut down. Reeve turned him off because he had no need of him, but the cat had helped him and deserved to be honored.

He had managed to get out from Midgar with just minor cuts and bruises, when the meteor came. When the lifestream had joined with Holy, the meteor was gone and everything went silent. That was, until cries of joy and relief had washed over the people.

That was over a year ago.

Reeve had returned to Midgar with his robot cat Cait Sith, and got this room. He was tired and needed a place to rest, not the exact truth, but mostly. He also wanted to be left alone for awhile. Once the Highwind had landed just outside the wrecked city, Reeve greeted them. With silent discussions and crying from the small ninja, they departed, each to their different destinations.

He knew where most of them went. Tifa reopened the Seventh Heaven bar and also established it into an orphanage, for those children that lost the ones they loved. Cloud joined in and got a job as a part time mercenary and a deliverer. In his spare time, he would join Tifa and the kids for games and such.

Barret had met Aeris's foster mother, Elmyra, and his daughter, Marlene, in Kalm. Elmyra went back to Midgar to see if her house was still intact after the crisis. As for Barret and Marlene, they returned to living in the city. The former AVALANCHE leader left Marlene with Tifa when he was at work. Reeve had received rumors about an artillery shop and chuckled at the very thought.

Red XIII or Nanaki returned to Cosmo Canyon and took his role as the protector for the small village. Both Elder Hargo and Elder Bugah took good care of him during a period of time…after Bugenhagen's death. Reeve remembered it clearly. He received a call from Cloud, telling him the news. It saddened him really; Bugenhagen had helped them so much through their journey to save the planet. The feline had let his grandfather's body be cremated and spread his ashes in the wind through the canyon. Reeve wouldn't be surprised if the elder wanted it, that old man was full of surprises and held wisdom far surpassing anyone he known.

The spunky little ninja had of course left for Wutai, and as promised, nearly all materia belonged to her. Reeve had received messages from Yuffie, either complaining of her duty as a Kisaragi or eagerly just wanting to talk to him. It was hard to tell which, but it didn't hurt to get some mail now and then.

Cid traveled back to Rocket Town and started working on the Highwind. Though the new one was a better update, it was only an emergency pod. It was not built for long adventures. As the mayor of the town and a hero from saving the Planet, many volunteers helped him with different sets of parts. The smoking pilot got extra help from the very sweet assistant, Shera. As far as Reeve knew, the two had grown very close the last year. He could tell by the silent bond between them, but also by the several distress calls from Cid whenever something had upset her.

Several, as in about 89, in the last year.

However, there was one that no one of them had heard anything about. Vincent Valentine; former member of the Turks and extraordinary gunslinger. Like a ghost, he disappeared without a trace not long after the crisis. Reeve didn't know the man very much to be honest, in fact, almost nothing at all. Vincent was very closed up and only spoke when he needed to. When he first met him through Cait Sith, Vincent was even colder that ice. He never spoke of his past; though there was one time he told us of the Jenova project, but kept most of the facts untold. Even during the time with the meteor, Vincent still portrayed himself as a dark shadow, standing far back in the corner where no light touched. But as a shadow needs the light to exist, Reeve knew that Vincent grew more accustomed with his comrades.

Reeve walked towards his desk and glanced at its surface. Several notes in different sizes were scattered on the table, books laid opened and many others were stacked in piles on the floor. All of them belonged to archaeologists. The former spy had spent five months reading and searching for answers, but only came up with a few. One of the archaeologists, Jones, explained numerous discoveries of the Cetras. That's what had caught Reeve's eye; information on the Ancients was scarce at best, if not nonexistent. Jones had traveled through the Planet more likely over 200 years ago, and tried to piece together the history of their background. Reeve was impressed; Jones's notes were full of discoveries. Some of them traced back to a couple of hundreds of years after the Calamity from the skies, over 2000 years ago.

Sadly, most of them were written in what he presumed to be Latin.

With a heavy sigh, Reeve turned to the little colorful box on the table. The box was not very big, probably 8x8 inches in square, very colorful despite dark paints of purple and green. He had just received it by his door; no note nor person in sight. He sat down by his desk and stared at it. It lay on its right side and had a small handle. The lid was locked. Reeve knew what kind of a box it was and grasped it in his hands. While his left held it, the right turned the handle. After a few turns, nothing happened and Reeve put it back down with a small frown.

Suddenly the melody began.

Reeve's eyebrows rose in surprise while he listened to the song.

Where did he hear it before? He faintly recalled a quiet melody from his childhood, very similar to this one. Then it hit him. Of course, it had to be that annoying song that drove you to madness if you listened to it too long; the same song children loved to sing. Small children that gathered around an older woman, each one wearing a big smile on their faces, and soon started singing with pitch high voices. Reeve could smirk at that, he could see himself that young, eagerly alive in that melody; many others for that matter. Now he could see himself, in present time, finding it bothersome. But children are children; pure and innocent, young and lovable. Reeve respected that, he loved to see smiles and hear laughs, even if it required him to listen to childish tunes.

The handle turned by itself as the song continued. Reeve soon became lost with the song; his ears strained past it, almost hearing the wheels working inside the box. He could hear himself in his mind, along with other kids singing it:

Round and 'round the cobbler's bench  
The monkey chased the weasel  
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun  
Pop! Goes the weasel

A penny for a spool of thread  
A penny for a needle  
That's the way the money goes  
Pop! Goes the weasel

As the melody went into the last verse, the Jack popped out, startling the silent man. The jester looked, in Reeve's point of view, impious. A wide grin stretched over the doll's rubber face, eyes gazing at him mischievously, and the nose was long, pointed, and slightly bent like a crow's beak. The twin set of brows were lowered in a V shape over its eyes, making it look insane. The hat was colored in dark nuances of black and red with three small bells hanging in each tip. While the jester looked at him devilishly, he popped back again, revealing a piece of paper previously obscured by his head.

Reeve, who was still rather stunned by the jester's appearance, raised a hand towards the folded paper and opened it.

_If you think the world is safe, that you won the war  
Then I tell thee, how wrong you are  
A war is never won, I'm afraid  
For in the future, blood will stain the blade_

Reeve frowned and read the text again. War, which war did it mean….the one between Shinra and Wutai? That was over 15 years ago; could it really be referring to that one?

Blood will stain the blade….more lives will go to waste.

Reeve's eyes relaxed and he lowered his gaze in thought. Deep hazel orbs glanced at the clock, reading the two arms' positions.

_23:02_

It was getting late. For over six hours, Reeve had read the notes from Jones; his exploring and his discovered items.

Reeve closed his eyes and rested his head in his right hand. In the last journal of the archeologist, he mentioned something about an ancient battle and another world. In the dark ages of the……

_Damn!_

Reeve's eyes snapped open and stared ahead. He got the message clearly now. He also noticed that the robot cat sitting on the undersized pillar was gone. A slight shock crept over his face before his eyes caught something flickering in the glass of the clock. By reflex, he whirled around and got a glimpse of a dark item, clutched in a white clad hand.

Then, his world turned black.

_**To be continued **_


	2. Deepest calls

**Chapter I  
Deepest calls**

_I'm weak_.

_You're not…you're just scared_.

…_of what?_

_Being alive…I guess_.

……

…_don't worry, they'll be here_.

"Are going to buy that newspaper, Miss Lockheart?"

Startled from her thoughts, Tifa Lockheart looked up. The old man's smile was sweet and gentle, his hazel eyes glinting with amusement. She smiled back and dug in her pocket for two Gil. The old man who was selling the newspapers and magazines every morning always smiled and saw things in the bright side. He would even smile when he stood outside his stand when the clouds gathered and the rain fell down. Tifa admired him for that.

"A Gil for your thoughts?"

Tifa chuckled. "The same as yesterday, Bill, and the day before that…and the day before that."

Bill nodded, still smiling. "Still that dream again huh?"

She nodded as she finally found the two coins. The newspaper she'd been holding was warm from her hands, she must have been in the clouds a little longer than she thought.

_Memories are sometimes plaguing_. She thought tiredly as she rolled the newspaper under her arm and waved goodbye to Bill. The dark brown hair swayed with her movement while her shirt hung tightly against her chest area. The skirt was long ago discarded and was replaced with long black pants with two laces. The red battle gloves were replaced with a similar black with a few spikes on the knuckles. She liked this outfit better when days like these came; dull and gray. Besides, she could fight a little easier without any men watching the very _interesting_ moves.

The same conversation was playing over and over in her mind. A conversation she never had taken part of in an awakened state. Someone was weak, someone else was comforting the other and other people would come. It did not make any sense; the dreams were of a couple, sometimes she could see herself and another man, sometimes two different people she could not make out. Dark beings, shadowed by the lack of light; one sitting with head bent down with the other standing and staring off in the distance until the talk abruptly ended as they both whirled around. It ended that way, just like that. Normally you would not remember with much clarity, like what they were or their faces, but Tifa could detect her own voice though she had no clue which person she was referring to. Something would happen all of sudden and the dream ended with her waking up; like someone had hit her with an unseen force.

She briefly wondered if the man was Cloud. The voice was indeed familiar and it sounded like him, but the much deeper tone had made her doubt that. The only time she could fail to notice Cloud's voice was when he was coming of age and his voice became lower and uneven.

A smile tugged the corners of her mouth and she soon gave up, a small chuckle escaped her lips.

She slid to a halt and glanced up to the towering statue in the middle of the plaza. _A memory from the past_. There were still work to be done on it but everyone knew what it symbolized. The big ball with a tail of powerful flames, the half of it scaled away. A small surface in the form of a part of the world, covered by knotted waves of the Lifestream.

Tifa closed her eyes, remembering clearly the moment when the green light had engulfed them all. Once the light faded, it was all gone. The meteor, Holy and the Lifestream, it all disappeared like nothing had ever happened. Several eyes had opened wide, trying to find a clear answer of what really happened.

Then the rain came and they all fixed their eyes upwards.

"Tifa!"

She smiled, this was the second time her thoughts were broken within ten minutes. The dark haired woman turned around to face the caller. Her smile grew into a grin as she crouched down and hugged the young girl that ran towards her.

"Hey girl, how've you been?"

Marlene laughed. "I've been great, papa is here too."

"He is?"

"Indeed he is." A dark deep voice spoke.

Tifa glanced up at the immensely tall man and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you Barret."

He smiled and embraced back. "Likewise." The man noticed the far-away-look in her eyes and arched an eyebrow. "Somethin' on your mind?"

She smiled and closed her eyes; Barret was a caring person inside despite the rough exterior.

"It's Cloud huh?"

She raised an eyebrow as her smile widened a bit. "Am I that obvious?"

A low chuckle erupted from his throat. "Was there even one time you stopped thinkin' about him?" Tifa cast her eyes to the ground; she knew that was more like a statement than a question. True, Cloud was almost the only thing her mind chanted about.

"Things are not what they would seem."

Barret frowned by her statement. Tifa turned her head and saw his confused expression and let out a sigh. "The tight connection we had has thinned since the battle. After the fight, he began to think." She stopped and cast down her gaze again as if pained by the memory. "Thinking about himself, his past and his life, Sephiroth, Jenova, Shinra…and Aeris. He helped me with the bar and with the children from time to time, but eventually he grew more distant and the visits became more… sparse. I'm not sure if it's his job or the time he spends by himself."

Barret sighed and put his left hand on her shoulder in compassion. "I'm sorry for you Tifa; many things happened in his life and scars won't fade so easily."

She let out a sigh and gave a nod. "Yeah, I know." Even if days go by and the wounds heal, the scars are still there, as a reminder. Some are too deep to be healed at all. Of course, there are people who know how to mask their hurt, cover their fragile emotions with false smiles or fake laughs. She was one of them. When she was a child, her tears would flow and her anger would take the best out of her. Now that she was older, she remembered what Bill had said to her.

"_You can turn painful situations around through laughter_._ If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it_._"_

He had a point; maybe that's why he smiled so often.

"What are you doing here then?" She asked, breaking the silence between them.

"Marlene and I decided to take a walk and visit you. When we found out that you were not home, we remembered that you often go out and would probably end up at Bill's stand." He replied with a shrug and smiled when he spotted the little twitch in her eyebrow.

"I know I'm obvious in certain aspects but THAT crosses the line." She replied with a slightly annoyed tone.

Barret laughed and waved his hand. "Just teasing you, actually I needed some stuff myself." He scratched his head, looking quite sheepish. "Uh, could you watch Marlene for a couple of minutes?"

Tifa smirked but nodded. "Of course."

Barret nodded thankfully and left. Tifa turned to Marlene. The little girl's outfit silently screamed adorable. Red cotton pants with a red cotton shirt. The brown worn-out sneakers adorned small feet, while her brown hair was put in two pigtails. The woman smiled warmly; she looked like a miniature angel.

Soon Marlene waved goodbye, dashing towards the other children that had gathered not far away. Not long after a small introduction of her, the children began to play.

Tifa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The breeze was calm and the air was cleaner. Since the fall of Shinra, the reactors were no longer in use and the air grew healthier with time. The clouds hovering above the city thinned and sometimes you could enjoy a glorious sunny day.

She opened her eyes and glanced around from the children playing, to Barret talking with Bill, to the lonesome dog tied up near the monument.

Tifa blinked and stared at the dog. The brown animal stared off in the distance, with its ears up. She followed its gaze and turned back when she spotted nothing peculiar. It continued to stare and stood completely still, never blinking.

Suddenly the dog barked and started to struggle against the rope it was attached to. The bar hostess frowned as the poor thing panicked. She glanced around to see what had caused the dog's worried state, and again she saw nothing. With cautious steps, she walked over to the dog. Once there, she expected the dog to look at her but to her surprise it did not even seem to notice her.

"Hey, calm down." She spoke softly but to no use, the dog whimpered and tugged the rope frantically. Tifa had no exactly desire to touch the dog in its condition, but the sight of him made her heart ache. She then heard voices of the people around her; many in shock and amazed. Nearly everyone had stopped dead in their tracks and gazed up into the sky.

Tifa turned her head upwards and nearly gasped. Above Midgar's highest roofs flew a dark cloud of fluttering birds, flying south. They all made screeching sounds while they eagerly flapped their wings.

The dog whimpered and barked louder until it finally broke loose from its bounds. Tifa turned and watched shocked as the dog dashed towards the south as well.

Then it came. First vibrating slightly until it grew more intense. Tifa gasped and ran towards Marlene who stood with the others. The other children's parents had dashed to their children's aid and escaped with them; leaving Marlene alone.

It had started.

The older woman reached her and hugged the terrified girl while she crouched down, shielding her from the danger that could come. Tifa could feel another pair of arms encircling the two; she glanced up to see the dark skin of her friend, Barret.

The ground shook with extreme authority, pulsing like a beating heart. The wrecked buildings that took a lot of damage from the meteor fell apart and people dashed away in terror, shielding themselves from the piles of metal and cement that came down. Tifa and Marlene held on to each other in a crouching stance while Barret covered them with his body. The young girl screamed as some of remains crashed down a couple of feet away.

Children cried, people screamed and then the tremor slowed down to a stop.

Silence crept in.

-

The ground vibrated as the tremor died away. Small rocks, that sat loose, rolled down from towering stone walls. The cave sung its melody, sending it to the greater depths. He had seen it before and still it did not worry him. Though the time and the raison d'être of the raging earthquake made perfect sense. He curiously wondered how the cursed city looked like now, and tears that must have been shed as the quake rocked the area.

_Pulse of the Earth will act three…_

Two more times, two more places, no one knew or even cared about it. The figure stood up from the small rock he'd been sitting on and strode over to one of the cave's walls. A quake shows the rage of the earth, while the water shows its true power. He would have smiled, but his lips did not budge at the silent thought. Long time ago, he found these kinds of events quite amusing and entertaining. Watching with glee as people were slaughtered before his very eyes. Purely enjoyable. He greatly missed the sight of a city engulfed by the flames of an ever burning inferno.

The figure reached to the wall and rested a gloved hand on its surface, while his eyes scanned the mosaic images across the stone. His gaze landed on the fifth image from the bottom gently stroked it with his hand. The world was not the same anymore; the Planet had shown its true power and that was only a defensive act. The very thought of the Planet's attack power sent chills down his spine, but that action was yet to come. The white clad hand trembled slightly before he clenched into a tight fist.

Dark eyes closed as he let out deep breath, calming his ill-tempered mind. His deepest desire would be granted, it was only a matter of time.

_Never again…mark my word_

-

Burgundy eyes glazed with worry as the people that survived tried to find their friends. Some lay dead under the remains that fell down and children cried in absolute fear. Tifa coughed; nearly the entire area was hidden in a thick mist of dust. They had survived with only small bruises and they were happy for that. Barret was concerned for Marlene and hugged her dearly. He was tough and held himself together but whenever Marlene was concerned, it could nearly break him apart. Marlene hugged him back, though not as strongly, smiling softly and comforting her father the best way she could.

Tifa had to admit Marlene was very brave for her age and nearly didn't cry at all.

She felt another vibration and instantly thought of a second tremor. But once her ears caught a low ringing sound, she embarrassingly reached inside her pocket and answered her phone.

"Yeah?"

The signal was buzzing but the caller could still be heard. "Tifa?"

Her heart stopped for a timid moment as concern crept over her dirty face. The voice she had longed to hear. Once she regained her composure, she tried to find her own voice. "Cloud, where are…"

"We'll talk about that later. Listen, something has happened." She was cut short by Cloud's sudden words. Her ears were trained on tone of his voice. He sounded a bit troubled and partly angered, the tone she had not heard since the Crisis.

"What are you…?"

Again she her sentence was cut and annoyance began to rise. However it was quickly washed away as the two last words reached her ears.

"It's Reeve."

**_To be continued_**

_Read the story, send me a review  
And I may update much faster too  
Comments from you is what makes me glad  
It keeps my mind off from thoughts I used to had_

_/T.C. Linden_


	3. The ghost on the second floor

**Chapter II**

**The ghost on the second floor**

Tifa sped up as the orphanage came into her view. She desperately hoped that the children were alright. They had to be; she could never forgive herself otherwise. She had left them with Elmyra just to get a few items this morning, and felt horrible for leaving them. To her great relief, the orphanage and the bar stood unharmed. It was a two story house; the bottom for the bar while the top worked as a home for her and the kids. It was darkened but still intact.

Above the sign of _7th Heaven_ were the three windows of the three bedrooms. The martial artist glanced up and saw them also pitch-black. The fear rose in her and she nearly broke the door when she dashed inside.

"Elmyra!"

Tifa panted, partly by lack of oxygen but mostly by terror. Books, cutlery, plants and almost everything else were knocked to the floor. Her heart pulsed madly in her chest as her ears were strained for any reply or sound. She held her breath as no answer came but exhaled in relief when the older woman yelled from the kitchen.

"Tifa, we're in here!"

The bar hostess strode to the kitchen and hugged her friend; they were safe. She looked at her and the children, scanning for any injuries.

"They're alright, Tifa." Elmyra spoke calmly, displaying a tender smile and Tifa smiled back. Elmyra looked a little shaken but otherwise was fine. The children chatted as usual and helped Elmyra with cleaning up the things that lay in a mess on the kitchen floor, acting rather excited through the shocking episode.

_Johan_.

_Nicholas_.

_Emily_.

_Teddy_.

_Freddy…_

Tifa's smile faded. _Only six…!_

She turned to Elmyra. "Where's Elle?"

The other woman pointed to the living room. "It's alright Tifa, she's upstairs."

With a nod, Tifa left for the seventh child. Once she began to climb the stairs, she raised her voice.

"Elle?"

No reply.

_People…cry when they are sad…_

Though Elmyra told her that the girl was fine, Tifa still felt fear rise in her chest. Elle was special to say the least; you never knew when she was okay or upset. The girl never spoke to anyone else besides Tifa and Elmyra. Ever since Elle had arrived, Tifa found that understandable. Many children of different ages act in their own way to heal from the condition they were unfortunately given. But as time passed, the child's wounds would heal to an amount and light shined through the dark.

However, Elle had not changed and that worried the fighter.

_People…kiss when they love…_

She tried again. "Elle!"

_People………kill… when they are mad…_

Tifa reached her destination and knocked, calling out her name again. When no reply came, she opened the door. Burgundy eyes scanned the dark room and soon fell on the figure by the window, holding a small black book.

…_still_.

"…they keep on living."

Tifa frowned at the girl and silently walked towards her. "Who keeps on living, Elle?"

The girl called Elle stayed silent for a long time, and Tifa waited patiently. She never pressed Elle, the 14 year old girl spoke when she wanted to, no more or less. She had been living here for three months with them, and all Tifa knew was how she mentally worked. No background, no family…no close friends. The older woman could still remember that day when Elle first arrived at the orphanage.

_A young boy with fiery orange hair and green eyes smiled mischievously as he ran through the living room to the kitchen, his once white shirt smeared with colorful dots_. _A woman in her early twenties looked up from her book and caught the sight of the boy's hair before he disappeared_. _Not long after, she saw a smaller girl with dark blond hair and baby blue eyes, wearing a green jumpsuit dashing after him_.

"_Give it back Caleb!"_

"_Nah ah!"_

"_Caleb, you big meanie_. _GIVE-IT-BACK!"_

_They continued screaming at each other until the kitchen door stifled the yells with an unceremonious_ _slam_. _Tifa Lockheart sighed and massaged her temples_. _Those two were always picking on each other_. _She glanced around the living room, surveying the other children with a careful eye_. _Johan and Nicholas sat by the bookshelf, silently working on their homework they had just received_. _The six year old girl, Emily, sat by the coffee table, drawing colorful pictures of flowers_. _On the couch next to the armchair Tifa settled in, sat a girl with similar appearance as the angry girl in the kitchen_._ Freddy; Teddy's twin sister_. _Both girls had blond hair, blue eyes and green jumpsuits but their personalities were totally opposite_. _Freddy was the calm one while Teddy was the energetic; they were rather distinct_.

_Freddy had been reading the same book, for over three hours in a row now_.

_Tifa smiled and went back to her own book, ignoring the odd noises that came from the kitchen_. _She would take care of those two later_.

_Only one minute after, there was a knock on the door_. _The woman sighed and answered it_. _Her expression turned to surprise when she found her old friend standing in the horrible rain_.

"_Bill?"_

_The old man lifted his hat and nodded_. _"Good evening Miss_. _Lockheart_. _I assume you had a great day, no?"_

_Tifa smiled warmly_. _"Indeed I did, Bill_. _What's brought you here?"_

_Bill smiled, but not as happy as usual; this time it held a hint of sadness_. _He turned and motioned to a figure behind him_. _Tifa's eyes landed on the dark figure as it moved towards them_. _Once the figure touched the light, a young girl was revealed_.

_The dark skinned man turned back to Tifa with the girl standing beside him_. _"I know that you already have a hard time Miss_. _Lockheart but I don't know anyone else I should turn to_._"_

_Tifa stared at the girl and took in her appearance while the old man spoke_. _The girl looked to be in her early teens, very slim and pale_. _Hair divided in very long dreadlocks of different tones of black, blue and purple, most of it tied up in some kind of a ponytail_. _The face was ghostlike pale and smooth while her lips were colored black_. _However, Tifa found the color of her eyes more shocking than anything else in her appearance_.

_Blood red_.

_She could not help it, but images of a certain comrade flashed in her mind_.

"_Tifa, I would like you to meet Elle_._"_

_-_

His still looked around in disbelief at what he saw. Papers, books and other obstacles laid scatter all over the place. An oak desk was knocked over along with its continents and items. A bottle of ink lay in pieces while the black fluid stained the crystal-like glass and floor. Cloud walked around the apartment, cautiously avoiding the objects while searching for any possible clues.

Reeve was gone and his room showed signs of struggle. Probably kidnapping but it frightened him to know that it could most likely grow into something more severe than just abducting. Cloud was still glad when he had received the distress call from him. Once he heard his friend's voice and the rustling noises in the background, he knew that something had happened.

A crushing sound of wood brought his mind back to reality and his blue gaze downwards.

On the floor, by the desk, lay the half destroyed box of the toy. Cloud recognized the plaything from his own childhood. The jester, the colors, the box; it all was fitting the description of his memory.

Jack-in-the-box.

The Ex-SOLDIER grimaced at the sight of it. One glance at this clown and children would have cried themselves into sleep. He lifted the toy to inspect it. Why would Reeve have such a toy like this? He knew that Reeve loved children and had a heart for toys and other playable things, but why this…insane thing?

Mako blue eyes scanned the box, silently trying to avoid the penetrating gaze of the plastic eyes, when he found a crumpled piece of paper stuck to the doll. Gloved hands took it and golden brows furrowed when he found it stained with something in the tone of brown.

_Blood_.

Cloud feared the worst. Next thing he knew, he would find a corpse in the closet. He unfolded the paper and read its message.

_If you think the world is safe, that you won the war  
Then I tell thee, how wrong you are  
A war is never won, I'm afraid  
For in the future, blood will stain the blade_

Blue eyes narrowed. Someone had contacted him, someone who knew all of them. An assassin perhaps. His eyes tore away from the note and landed on something else. Tucked in a small gap of the box was another crumpled piece of paper. Though when Cloud read this one, his mind went blank with confusion which quickly disappeared when he understood what it meant. He knew that he did not have much time and strode forcefully out from the wrecked room, dialing Tifa on the way.

Reeve's clock was ticking.

Unbeknownst to him, another clock's countdown had already begun.

-

Alta nox erat; sedebam tædio fessus gravi,  
Nescio quid exoletæ perlegens scientiæ,  
Cum velut pulsantis ortus est sonus meas fores -  
Languido pulsantis ictu cubiculi clausas fores:  
"En, amicus visitum me serius, "dixi, "venit -  
Inde fit sonus- quid amplius?"

Tifa snapped awake from her thoughts and stared at her. "Hm?"

The girl closed the book with a snap, the sound bouncing between the walls of the dark room. Tifa inwardly shivered. Elle regularly sat in her room, reading or staring out through the window; all alone. She never played with the others, never even paying attention to them. It was like she was in her own world. Still, Elle had a heart for poetry. Tifa could tell since all the books of poems frequently vanished from the shelves. That seemed like the only thing that made her a member of reality.

Tifa recognized the part of the poem she had been reading aloud; it was one of her mother's own collection.

_The Raven_.

"Elle?"

"…it was Caleb." Low and cold; straight to a new subject.

"What?"

Elle did the slightest move to her right, speaking with a clear voice. "Caleb broke the vase, not the tremor."

'How do you know that?' would have been her regular question to ask, but thought better of it. Elle was different from the others. Whenever things occurred in a place when Elle wasn't present, the girl talked like she had. Thoughts, poems, dreams…nightmares, those were things she often talked about. Once Tifa was alone with Elle, she could find herself in the middle of a conversation based on simply nothing.

"Are you alright?" Tifa asked tenderly.

"…who is he?"

She frowned. "He?"

"The one who was kidnapped."

Again, Tifa's mind was filled by the prior question, but since it was Elle, there was no surprise.

"A friend, who helped us." Her voice echoed, low and quite painful. Reeve was a dear friend who helped them on their quest, despite the spying act. She remembered the days when Reeve would pay a visit, playing with the children, making them laugh. In her point of view, the man looked years younger when he smiled or laughed.

Tifa blinked back from her thoughts when Elle's voice again broke the silence.

"…is Cloud still there?"

It took a moment until the older woman understood. She was a fast learner and had an easy way getting back on track, but the teen made it difficult. "At the apartment, yes. Maybe he could find some clues of why Reeve was kidnapped."

For some reason, Elle's head twitched in her dark silhouette. "…you don't know?"

Tifa ignored the ringing sound downstairs and focused her attention at the slim girl. "What…?"

"You don't know the reason why Mr. Reeve was kidnapped?"

Tifa frowned at her voice. For once, she seemed worried.

"No, we don't know."

Elle stayed silent.

The martial artist felt the urge to ease the sudden silence. Her mind drifted of, replaying the words the girl had spoken. Just as Tifa was about to reply or to start another conversation, Elmyra's voice rang down stairs.

"Tifa, Cloud is on the phone!"

"Coming!"

With one last glance at Elle, Tifa reluctantly left.

The door closed and a black book fell to the floor.

"…_Lily_."

-

"You found anything?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I have, but I think I might need some help. Do you still keep contact with Red XIII?"

"Yeah."

"Call Red XIII, I think his knowledge about the Ancients may come in handy."

Tifa's brow furrowed in confusion. "What's the Ancients' story in this?"

"I found notes and other facts about them in Reeve's apartment. Whatever happened; it all happened suddenly, and everything was left in chaos not entirely from the earthquake." Cloud paused, biting his lip before continuing. "I found bloodstains on the floor."

Like being drained of energy, the woman took deep breaths and slumped against the wall, totally aware of several pairs of worried eyes watching her. "Alright Cloud, be careful, we don't know what we are up against."

Though Tifa could not see or know, Cloud nodded.

"Thanks Tifa, I'll call you later."

He hung up.

Tifa sunk to her knees, with the phone dead in her hand.

-

A small breeze entered the darkened room, as white curtains started swaying. The moon shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the shadows that covered the city's forgotten alleys. Neon lights glowed in all kinds of color, either moving or staying still. A large sign of a glowing rose flamed with intensity, casting a red hue in hopes of luring costumers like flies to the nightly café. The equally red eyes cast their own hue on the girl's white face, while she stared into the dark abyss.

Even though she was only clothed in a thin white shirt and the black slacks, Elle was not bothered by the cold. She welcomed the cool air in the midnight sky. But tonight was not a relaxing night with a full moon.

_Never again…mark my word_.

Elle glanced towards the ocean to the north. She could not see it but knew what lay beyond the watery depths.

"Tick…tock…"

_**To be continued**_

Thanks for all the encouraging reviews  
And I'm sorry for my small mistakes  
As well as I have nothing but a silly excuse  
This is just a small piece of the _cakes_

With help and inspiration  
It could have been taken by the armadillo  
So now with thanks and appreciation  
A small gift for the charming **_Cendrillo_**…

I got potential, now that's a scary thought  
People say that I 'm much of a darter  
And to think of the reactions that I caught  
You are one of a kind dear **_C. R. Carter_**…

I'm really confused, where is this potential you speak of?  
As far as I can see, there's not much to tell thereof  
What can I say but thank you?  
Until then, miss **_Ann2_**…

Quick and short, straight to the point  
I must correct the small mistakes  
With one last gesture of no disappoint  
Hope you like it, **_Crystal Snowflakes_**…


	4. Salty tears of agony

_We Wear the Mask_

We wear the mask that grins and lies,  
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes—  
This debt we pay to human guile;  
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,  
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

**Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) **

* * *

**_Chapter III  
_****Salty tears of agony…**

When the temperature drops several degrees, it could only mean two things. Either your body is currently visiting a freezer or the hour between the sun and moon has clocked in.

However amusing the first had sounded, he would agree with the last.

But letting his mind register what his ears are hearing, the cold freezer sounded much more appealing than this.

"Yuffie."

"Don't jump into conclusions, Cloud. Even if the description fits Yuffie, she is our friend. She already stole our materia once and she received most of the materia after the battle. Why would she try again?"

Cloud sighed, and his eyes grew tired. "I don't know, Tifa." He replied. True, why would that ninja want them anyways? As far as he knew and experienced, the huge materias had a supreme power but otherwise they were almost useless. They were incapable in battles, despite their size and features. Then again, he was a person that could walk on thin ice rather often.

He glanced around in the mist. The motorcycle stood where he left it but nothing else. Ever since he had reached the slums, the feeling of eyes on his back was quickly growing. Bandits roamed the slums and were always greedy; they would face anything if they could get their sticky fingers into someone's pockets.

"I'll call Yuffie, she could've heard something."

"In Wutai?"

"You never know."

A cold chill ran down his spine and he turned around.

Again, his eyes met nothing but mist and frost.

"I'll call you back, Tifa. See if you could reach Nanaki again."

"Alright Cloud."

With the last word said, he closed the phone. Just as he did, another sound echoed through the empty space and Cloud turned around for a third time.

In one of the corners stood a shadowed figure with short, dark blonde hair and trimmed shades. The man had a smile on his face, like he knew a secret no one else did.

Blue eyes narrowed as his right hand reached for the handle of the sword. This one however was not a bandit.

Since when did they wear black business suits and sunglasses?

The man chuckled as he saw the small movement of the swordsman's hand.

"So this is the soldier then."

* * *

Bumping, rocking and swaying, it never seemed to stop. The wagon had seen its better days, but its occupants did not seem to care. Wherever the road led; the wagon followed. But they could at least have chosen a better road!

"What are ye naming then?"

The figure glanced up at the man. Over his thirties, sunburned skin and stuffed over his belt. His gold teeth glinted in the faintest light as his brown eyes glittered with past youth. Dark locks stayed ruffled, trying to cover the bald part that seemed to shine every time the lamp came near.

Still, that unnerving smile, that stretched as a half-moon... didn't his cheeks hurt?

"Terah."

The man seemed surprised, perhaps because the name was familiar to him, or perhaps the fact of gender did its cause. He chuckled, rather embarrassed and scratched an itchy part on his ruffled skin. "Terah huh, got any last name missy?"

Even small words held great meaning and the figure named Terah, answered with a silent glare before turning back to staring outside.

Brown eyes darted away from her and scanned nervously around the wagon. This was the second wagon, one of the oldest and the finest, filled with goods from past decades. The leading wagon was ahead, where the manager resided. Terah had met him; you always had to meet him if you were to work with him. Very nice and true gentleman, however, even he had seen his better days.

The festival was getting nearer by each day and he had to be on time. Father time, they used to call the manager, always being punctual. They were soon there, no worries but setting the place up was the big job.

"So you're this so called harvester I've heard so much about." Again Terah looked up. The _happy man_, as Terah wordlessly called him when they first met, was the caretaker. Curious was he not? "Where's your scythe, mate?"

Though Terah knew he wished for a better role.

"Beyond your reach."

The caretaker sighed and massaged his temples; she could tell he was getting annoyed. "Listen mate, its nice dat you've got this rough attitude of yours but when I'm in this cart, there'll be respect, ye hear?"

Unmoved by his try of lecturing, she closed her eyes and leant back. "If I were you, then I wouldn't be worried of those who disrespect me. The real matter would be on what day this carnival is at."

He blinked, the puzzlement slowly creeping over his features. "On Halloween." He replied uncertainly.

At this, Terah nodded. "Ah yes, Halloween or All Hallows Eve as it was called in the old days. The day when the dead comes back." she was not surprised by his answer, many people had forgotten the old ways.

"Dat's just a story, mate. Dat's what me mother once believed as a child."

"Your mother was very wise then." The corners of her mouth stretched into a smile as her eyes glowed mischievously.

"Ever heard of All Hallows Bloody Eve?"

* * *

Elle sat on the green, worn-out sofa, not really caring about the musty smell of age. The TV flashed with sudden images of terrified people and a wreckage of a town in the background. People of all different kinds, small and big, thin and thick, light and dark, Elle could not count them. Everyone ran like a horde of frightened animals.

…….how funny could you get?

She was no person to give sarcastic comments and see the fun in it. To her, it was the truth.

…….again…two within seconds.

Tifa would have cried.

The sound raised in volume as two kids ran through the living room. Unaffected, Elle continued to watch the news.

A man dressed in linen blouse and pants dashed through the crowded plaza, eager to escape the danger that crashed against the shore. Against the fact that his voice couldn't break through hundreds of other people, the man yelled for all what he was worth. "Donde está mi hija!"

_He was a father…_

A small girl with black hair and once colorful bathing suit now smudged with dirt and sand, screamed and cried top of her lungs. "Madre!"

_Seven years old…_

The reporter caught another man, probably one of the staff members at the inn as for the outfit. His eyes were red and dirt stuck to his face. The short black hair was drenched in water and sand. Still he took time to speak a few words. "La onda... acaba de venir...Dios!" His voice failed him as he broke into shock once again.

The reporter let the man go and turned back to the screen, microphone close to her face. "Solamente dos horas después del terremoto que entró en erupción esta mañana, los ciudadanos de la ciudad elogiada sol han estado bajo otro acontecimiento, hecho por la furia de la naturaleza."

Crimson eyes stared at the news, totally aware at the burgundy eyes staring at her.

Tifa watched as Elle paid full attention to the TV. A frowned crept over her brow. She did not know Elle understood the language of the sunny town. But then again, Elle never shared any of her background with someone else.

A dark mystery.

_Reminds me of Vincent; dark, pale, and moody_.

She inwardly smiled when the thought developed.

_Maybe she is from his later lineage_.

New images flashed and caught Tifa's eyes. Turning back to the screen, her eyes darkened.

"No words can describe their feelings right now."

"…nor the joker."

Taken aback, the fighter turned to the girl. That girl must have eyes everywhere or a sensitive hearing, she could have swore that the whisper was inaudible. She let that slip though, it's rarely Elle continued with a reply of a conversation someone else started. "What?"

Elle stood up and walked towards the screen, letting a pale index finger touch a small form of a human near the building. "There."

Burgundy eyes followed the finger and frowned at the figure. Dark blue cloak with an equal blue hat that was divided in two sections, like two tails, danced in the wild wind. Nothing much could be seen though, but indeed it looked like a joker they used to fight in the open plains. Yet, it was too small and it seemed to stand on its own feet, not levitating on cards.

Odd things get stranger. Yes, it was true. Things change by time. Just like what Elmyra had said one time. _"Time passes, people move_. _Like a river's flow, it never changes_._"_ A flow never changes its path, and in time, history repeats again.

Coming back on the rail, Elle had disappeared and so had the _joker_. Her ears caught the sound of a closing door and presumed that Elle was in her room. She must have been in a very deep thought; she never noticed the girl walk pass.

A tired sigh escaped her lips and she turned off the TV. She slumped down in the armchair and closed her eyes. On every channel, there was news about either the earthquake or the tsunami that hit Costa del Sol. Many people had died today. So far, over one hundred corpses have been found in the city and thousands in and outside Costa del Sol. Nevertheless, many more were to be found.

Tifa turned her head to the small table were the radio stood. The silence drew her mad but she did not have the strength to listen on more sad news of death and still missing people.

The clock on the wall ticked, echoing through the house.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

Stubborn; she was stubborn and she admitted it.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

…_no_.

_Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

…_I'm not gonna do it!_

_Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

_I'm not interested!_

_Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

…_I am interested_.

Her hand flew to the power button and her head chanted for anything besides news.

A small tune soared pass as her hand rotated the small wheel. She turned back.

Hearing the tune again, Tifa strained her ears to listen.

A beautiful symphony of several violins, all of them playing together as if they were one. With the intro done, a woman's voice almost floated in, like a bird in the sky. Tifa closed her eyes, enjoying the music with heart and soul.

Quando sono sola  
sogno all'orizzonte  
e mancan le parole,  
si lo so che non c'è luce  
in una stanza quando manca il sole,  
se non ci sei tu con me, con me.  
Su le finestre  
mostra a tutti il mio cuore  
che hai accesso,  
chiudi dentro me  
la luce che  
hai incontrato per strada.

Time to say goodbye.  
Paesi che non ho mai  
veduto e vissuto con te,  
adesso sàli vivrò.  
Con te partirò  
su navi per mari  
che, io lo so,  
no, no, non esistono più,  
it's time to say goodbye.

The man's voice, that joined in made the song even more beautiful. She never heard anything so beautiful.

Quando sei lontana  
sogno all'orizzonte  
e mancan le parole,  
e io si lo so  
che sei con me, con me,  
tu mia luna tu sei qui con me,  
mio sole tu sei qui con me,  
con me, con me, con me.

Time to say goodbye.  
Paesi che non ho mai  
veduto e vissuto con te,  
adesso sàli vivrò.  
Con te partirò  
su navi per mari  
che, io lo so,  
no, no, non esistono più,

Together they sung with grace. She loved opera singers, they could sing alone and together, just like these two did now. All together with the orchestra.

con te io li rivivrò.  
Con te partirò  
su navi per mari  
che, io lo so,  
no, no, non esistono più,  
con te io li rivivrò.  
Con te partirò

Io con te.

Time seems to flash by and the song played its end. Another small tune soon came and a male's voice jumped in, young and eager.

"'Time to Say Goodbye', sung by Sara Nightingale together with Anders Minnelli. Don't forget to buy the tickets to their glorious opus in Midgar. We wouldn't want to miss that now do we? By the way, Susie you hear the ruckus out there?"

"In fact I do, Roger. The earthquake really rocked the city big time in a way that would have even put Alex Copper to shame. I hope it doesn't delay this year's Halloween festival."

"Oh dear I hope not. The yearly rumors of the festival are quickly growing, as usual and it speaks of a certain storyteller, am I not right Susie?"

"Right you are, Roger. Not much is said about this mystery figure but I guess we have to wait and find out do we?"

"Ah yes, and don't forget the wanted rock legend Samael is performing LIVE when the clock strikes midnight. Hehe, I can hear that there some fans in the studio too."

"Can't wait to hear him on stage. The clock strikes two in any minute now and we will be back with more music."

"More news."

"More gossip."

"And more entertainment."

"This is Mix Midgar."

Tifa turned off the radio and thought of the upcoming event. The kids were anxious about the festival, playing games, watching magical performances and eating candy until they are about to explode. She had to admit, it sounded fun this year. Every time, new events occurred and the festivals grew better and better.

But the opera sounded wonderful.

* * *

"A new era have begun soldier, your time has passed." The woman's voice spoke with amusement.

The man's green eyes glinted with excitement. "Indeed, why keep a locket you can't open when you have all pleasures you could get in front of your eyes."

Cloud's eyes darted between the two. The man and the female, both dressed in black suits and shades were people on the same level as assassins. Experienced as he was, two against one, armed and dangerous in a slum valley with no chance for possible backup, did not bode well. With one last glance at them, he dashed to the abandoned vehicle and climbed on. Within seconds, he sped off.

Both assassins stared impassively as the blond swordsman drove off, neither of them making the slightest move to stop him.

The woman sneered, gracing her steel claws against the metal wall. "Oh, how did I know there would be complications?"

* * *

The bed was soft and comforting, but Elle was not tired. Something was on its way. Crimson eyes stared of into space, ever so slightly moving as if catching obstacles moving in the air.

_Buildings…object…homes……heaven………_

Elle's eyes blinked before she turned to the window. She gazed out into the city's looming buildings that looked like high spears. One building caught her eyes and they traveled upwards.

Resignedly beneath the sky  
The melancholy waters lie.  
So blend the turrets and shadows there  
That all seem pendulous in air,  
While from a proud tower in the town  
Death looks gigantically down

The figure disappeared.

_**To be continued**_


End file.
